Quick-release zipper



March 31, 1953 o. FIRING 2,632,933

' QUICK-RELEASE ZIPPER Filed Feb. 16, 1951 IN VEN TOR. Osborne FiringBYM 1 Attorneg Patented Mar. 31, 1953 QUICK-RELEASE ZIPPER OsborneFiring, Woodbury, Conn., assignor to Scovill Manufacturing Company,Waterbury, 001111., a corporation of Connecticut Application February16, 1951, Serial No.-211,399

3 Claims. (01. 24-20511) This invention is an improvement in quickrelease, zippers.

During recent years there has come into use. to a limited extent, whatis commonly called quick release zippers. They are used in applicationswhere it is desirable to tear the zipper open without having to move theslider all the way back along the rows of fastener elements, or scoops,as they are commonly called in the trade. Such fasteners are useful forexample in flying suits and sleeping bags, especially in the event of anemergency, to enable the wearer to get out of the suit or bag as quicklyas possible.

These socalled quick release devices as heretofore presented have someobjections, either because they were too expensive and bulky or did notgivesuiiiciently reliable service.

An object of this invention is to provide an improved quick releasedevice wh ich is simple in construction and cheap to manufacture.

Another object is to provide a neat appearing fastener ,of this type andto avoid the use of cumbersome and unsightly parts; and a further objectis to provide a quick release device which shall be durable anddependable in operation throughout the life of the fastener.

So-called quick release zippers involve the use of a positive orpermanent stop on one stringer so that the slider cannot come off andget lost, and in addition a supplementary check device below the topstop which serves to check the movement of the slider on a normal pulland thus keep the garment fastened, while at the same time allowingfurther movement up to the positive stop upon an extra strong pull oryank. When the slide is thus pulled over the quick release or checkingdevice the second stringer can be pulled sidewise through the slider andenable the fastener to be torn open quickly while leaving the slideragainst the positive top stop.

My improved check device while preferably applied to the shorterstringer which does not have the positive stop, could also be applied tothe longer stringer.

In the accompanying drawing I have shown for purposes of illustrationtwo embodiments which my invention may assume in practice.

In these drawings:

Fig. l is a front view of the top portion of my improved quick releasezipper showing the slider in its normally closed position.

Fig. 2 is a similar view showing the top part of the slider removed.

Fig. 3 is a similar view with the top part of the slider removed butillustrating the position of the parts when the slider has been pulledbeyond 2 f the check device and ready to be torn open, and

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 2' showing a modified construction.

The zipper illustrated has the usual pair of corded edge tapes 4 and 5carrying the rows of interengageable fastener elements or scoops 6 and1, respectively.

In the case of the long stringer 4 shown here on the left the row ofscoops is longer, and attached to the tape at the upper end of this rowis a positive or permanent top stop 8, the particu lar shape of this topstop is not a part of the present invention and may be like any suitablepermanent stop now on the market. Also the particular shape of thefastener elements or scoops 6 and I- may be varied to suit differentspecifications.

f A slider 9 which is moved over the rows of scoops to open or close thezipper is of any common form having upper and lower wings each withinturned side flanges l0, and united at the upper end by a neck I I, theflanges and neck forming a Y-shaped channel through which the scoopspass.

Preferably the upper end of the shorter stringer 5 has the cords removedin the portion indicated at l2 so that it can slip sidewise through theflanges in of the slider. If desired instead of removing the cords inthis portion one or more of the slider flanges could be'somewhatrelieved to allow the cords to pass trough the side of the slider, butin any case this portion will be devoid of scoops.

My improved checking device consists simply of a solid block I3 clampedaround the corded edge of one of the stringers preferably the shorterone 5, at a location sufliciently below the top stop 8 so that theslider when moved against said top stop will have passed over thechecking device l3. Preferably I remove one of the scoops a slightdistance from the end of the row of scoops and replace such removedscoop by block I3, but if desired such block could be placed beyond theend of the row of scoops on the shorter stringer.

The block I3 is substantially thicker than the space between twofastener elements and it is preferably made of the same material as thescoops. When reference is made here to thickness it is intended to referto the dimension lengthwise of the stringers.

The free end of the block is wedge-shaped'as indicated at H and extendsa sufiicient distance from the stringer so as to wedge between twoadjacent scoops on the opposite side when the slider is pulled againstthe block l3. The term wedge-shaped is used herein and in the appendedclaims to refer to a shape produced by a sloping or tapering of theupper and lower sides of the block at its free end, or to a rounded endwhich would accomplish the same purpose.

It will be evident that this block [3 serves as a check which will stopthe slider when it is operated with the normal pulling force. As seen inFig. 2-the wedge-shaped end of. theblock bears against a pair of scoopsand the attached ends of these scoops and the block will bindfrictionally against the flanges H) of the slider. Now when a strongerpull or yank is given to the slider the wedge block will push between apair of scoops on the opposite stringer and'angle or twist them slightlyto one side. This is possible because of the normal clearance betweeninterengaging parts of the scoops, As seenin Figs.

2 and 3 when the scoops are thus twisted, they bend the corded edge of.the tape as indicated at l5 which acts as a spring and which brings thescoops back into proper alignment when freed of the pressure of thewedge block.

, In Fig. 4 I have shown a modified form of construction which may beused where it is desired to provide greater resistance by the checkingdeviceand which locates the slider in its normally, closed position moredefinitely by a'snapping action. Here the wedge block, ind'ica-tedrbythe numeral 16, has its attaching end projecting farther over the tapesthan the attaching ends I! of the scoops, thus putting it out of linewith the normal travel of the slider flanges Thus when the sliderstrikes the member it it will force the wedge block over somewhatfarther than in the first embodiment offering more resistance and thenit will snap into a recess I8 in the slider flange thus giving adefinite indication ofthe normal end position of theslider. The edges ofthe recess l8 are beveled at [9 so that when an. additional pull is puton the slider it can move over the wedge block ISfin either direction.

As a result of my invention it will be apparent to those skilled in theart that I have devised an improved quick release device whichis-si'mple in construction, cheap tomanufacture, heat in appearanceand'dependable in operation.

- .What I claim is:

, .1; A quick release zipper of the class described.

comprising a pair of stringers having rows 0! scoops along theiradjacent edges, a slider movable along said scoops to open and close thezipper, a positive top stop on one stringer at the end of the row ofscoops on that stringer, a, check device located a sufiicient distancebelow said positive stop so that the slider will have passed, over thecheck device when it strikes the positive stop, said check devicecomprising a wedge block attached to the edge of one of the stringerssubstantially in line with its row of scoops, said block having awedge-shaped end projecting from the stringer edge in line with thespace between 'two adjacent scoops on the opposite stringers, and saidblock being thicker than said space and projecting a sufficientdistance'to wedge between said two scoops, whereby said wedging actionchecks the slider movement when the slider is operated by a normalpullbut permits movement over the checking device by application of asufiiciently stronger pull to wedge apart said two adjacent scoops.

2. A quick release-zipper as defined in claim 1 wherein saidv wedgeblock is extended at its attach-i'ng end to project out of line with theat taching'ends' of the scoops and wherein a re- 'cess is provided inthe slider flange into which the attached end of the wedge block willsnap when the slider is pulled over the wedge block. 3. A'quick releasezipper according to claim 1 wherein the wedge block replaces one of thescoops a short distance from the end of one of the rows of scoops.

OSBORNE FIRING;

REFERENCES CITED.

' The following referencesare of record in the file of this patent:-

